Reward now $5,000 in dog-poisoning deaths

A reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect or suspects in the poisoning deaths of 10 dogs and possibly one cat at a mobile-home park in the Lincoln Park neighborhood has been increased to $5,000, officials said Friday.

An anonymous donor has contributed an additional $3,000 to the reward, said Kelli Herwehe, spokeswoman for the San Diego Humane Society, which is investigating the deaths as possible animal-cruelty cases.

Crime Stoppers had earlier offered $1,000, and the company that manages the El Rey Trailer Plaza offered an additional $1,000.

Humane Society investigators responded to a call Saturday and found five dead dogs when they arrived at the park on 47th Street. Three more poisoned dogs were found on Sunday. Two more died Monday.

The cat was discovered Thursday morning. It is unclear if the cat was also poisoned, said Randy Lawrence, the society's director of investigations, and a necropsy will be performed.

At a meeting at the park this week, Lawrence told residents that investigators are making good progress and are optimistic that they will be able to identify a suspect or suspects.

They are focusing the probe on residents in the trailer park, which has more than 200 mobile homes, and are studying surveillance video from the park, private residents and nearby businesses.